In the Bible, Numbers 32:23 says, "But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out". In essence, even if you think no one will know, the Lord knows, and what you did will eventually be revealed.
Rachel and Samantha spent the last week at my mom and dad's. My parent's needed a distraction from some anxious events this week, and Rachel and Samantha's misbehavior on Monday provided an opportunity to send my parents a distraction that included some slave labor. Mom put them to work weeding gardens, moving rocks, and planting trees and shrubs, all the while subjecting them to lectures about "not making your parents crazy because you still need them sane for a few more years.
While they were away, eggs that Samantha had placed in the incubator because she had, "forgotten to collect them for a few days," hatched. Now, it takes 21 days for chicks to hatch, and the eggs were in the incubator for about 8 days. You do the math. Either we have miraculous chickens laying miraculous eggs or, Samantha is lying about how long she neglected her coop. Your sin will find you out.
This week we had a young friend visit us for a few hours. She wanted to play in Samantha's room, but it was quite messy. Sam and our young friend cleaned up her room and found empty wrappers of various snacks tucked in corners and other hidden places. Your sin will find you out.
While with my parents, mom asked Rachel to do some math while they were shopping, and she struggled with it, ending up using her fingers to do the calculations. Upon interrogation by my mother it was revealed that there has been some cheating on math work. Your sin will find you out.
I decided to do a little checking on our Netflix account in light of my mom's revelation regarding schoolwork. It seems my students have become well versed in various TV shows during times when TV is not allowed. Computer history checks also revealed they are spending quite a bit of time on internet games. Thankfully none of them were anything bad, but certainly they didn't involve math facts or fraction usage. Your sin will find you out.
So in light of all this, some new barn rules are in place, snack purchases will be curtailed, the WiFi USB is securely hidden, the Netflix account has been terminated, and they have a new memory verse to learn. Life as they have known it is gone. Welcome to the new normal girls!
Showing posts with label Rachel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rachel. Show all posts
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Friday, May 3, 2013
Track Meet
Rachel and Samantha are running on the track team this year.
They both run the 100 meter. Rachel does the long jump and Samantha does the shotput and the discus.
They both run the 100 meter. Rachel does the long jump and Samantha does the shotput and the discus.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Really?
I was cleaning out "THE Drawer" yesterday. You know, the one desk drawer where everyone stashes everything. The one where they say, "I'll put it here for now," knowing full well it'll never get where it truly belongs until Mom deals with it.
While putting all these things where they actually belong (mainly the trash can!), I came across a Mother's Day project that Rachel had made during her time in the public school. There is no date on it, but judging by the handwriting, it appears to have been from when she was nine or ten years old.
It's a small booklet with questions about mom that she either filled in the blanks or circled an answer for. Questions like:
I really like it when my mom ____________. She likes it when I __________.
Rachel answered "talks about the Lord" and "behave," respectively.
Pretty cool answers, I think.
On another page Rachel listed some ways that she and I are similar:
1. Glasses (we both wear glasses. Well, she's supposed to, and I'm blind if I don't)
2. Braces (I had them as a teen, she has them now)
3. Love Daddy. (altogether now, "Awwww!")
Next she was to provide an animal that most is like her mother.
Her response: a frog.
Frog? Bug-eyed and slimy? Really?
There is a page at the end titled, "Describing Mom". The directions state that the child is to circle six words from the extensive list that describe their mother. Rachel circled only two: outgoing and tired. Really?
She skipped right over loving, kind, smart, caring and happy? Okay. I am outgoing, but tired?
Really?
While putting all these things where they actually belong (mainly the trash can!), I came across a Mother's Day project that Rachel had made during her time in the public school. There is no date on it, but judging by the handwriting, it appears to have been from when she was nine or ten years old.
It's a small booklet with questions about mom that she either filled in the blanks or circled an answer for. Questions like:
I really like it when my mom ____________. She likes it when I __________.
Rachel answered "talks about the Lord" and "behave," respectively.
Pretty cool answers, I think.
On another page Rachel listed some ways that she and I are similar:
1. Glasses (we both wear glasses. Well, she's supposed to, and I'm blind if I don't)
2. Braces (I had them as a teen, she has them now)
3. Love Daddy. (altogether now, "Awwww!")
Next she was to provide an animal that most is like her mother.
Her response: a frog.
Frog? Bug-eyed and slimy? Really?
There is a page at the end titled, "Describing Mom". The directions state that the child is to circle six words from the extensive list that describe their mother. Rachel circled only two: outgoing and tired. Really?
She skipped right over loving, kind, smart, caring and happy? Okay. I am outgoing, but tired?
Really?
Monday, January 17, 2011
Rachel's Eleventh Birthday is Today
Today is Rachel's 11th birthday. My Y2K baby. She says she'll always know how old she is because her age will always match the year. We chose Rachel's name because in the bible story Rachel was loved, and our Rachel is most definitely loved. Rachel, also means "little lamb", and that name still suits her. Her middle name is Margaret, after my grandmother.
Rachel was such an easy baby, other than being 15 days overdue! Her big sisters adored her and Abby especially was enamored with her. Rachel wanted for nothing as Abby and Nathalie were always quick to try and soothe her. Rachel took her time learning to crawl and walk, I think because her sisters carried her everywhere!
When Rachel was about eight months old she had this fluffy reddish hair that just kind of stuck out all over her head. Sam and I were watching a documentary on apes and they showed an orphaned baby orangutan. This baby had a head of hair that looked just like Rachel's! From then on she was our "little monkey"!
Of all my kids, Rachel reminds me the most of my sister Beth. Beth was diagnosed with leukemia when she was eight and passed away January 14th 1989, at the age of 11. Rachel sings silly, goofy songs in the bathtub, that can cause me to catch my breath as I go back 20 plus years in my mind.
Rachel's brain works differently than most of us. She sees the world in a way that at times is incredibly refreshing and at other times truly frustrating. She often has us in stitches with her one liners that don't come out quite the way she intended. Rachel's struggles with learning new things has taught her a valuable lesson: She is not afraid or embarrassed to ask for help. She doesn't quit when things get tough; she will seek out someone who can assist her.
Rachel is amazingly creative and imaginative. She will use extra cardboard boxes and paper to create elaborate houses for her dolls. She loves to do crafts. Her walls in her room are decorated with all sorts of projects. She is forever collecting scraps of lace, trims, or fabrics and turning them into clothing for her dolls. Recently she began learning how to use the sewing machine, and is thoroughly enjoying taking her creativity to a new level.
When I look at Rachel, I wonder at what God has for her. She is so full of possibilities. At this moment she thinks she might want to become a wildlife rehabilitator. She has always liked birds, especially owls. I watch her when she is around younger children and she has a way of relating to them that is so unique; perhaps she'll be a teacher. She loves to build and create things,so maybe she'll be an architect or an engineer.
Loving Rachel has taught me patience. I tend to rush into things, full speed ahead, expecting others to either follow or get out of the way. With Rachel, I have had to learn to slow down, to explain things, and then, to explain them again. The experiences we had with Rachel and the public school system has taught me to stand up for my kids and myself, even when people in authority claim they know best. Rachel has taught me to trust my gut when it comes to my children. Most importantly, Rachel has taught me to trust God. His plan is infinitely better than mine. He knows Rachel, even better than I do. He loves Rachel, even more than I do.
As she follows the same paths as her older sisters, I am sure we will have our struggles as she enters the "teenager" phase, but I am confident that in the next two years we will see Rachel develop physically, emotionally, and spiritually into a mature young lady who knows that God has a plan for her.
Rachel was such an easy baby, other than being 15 days overdue! Her big sisters adored her and Abby especially was enamored with her. Rachel wanted for nothing as Abby and Nathalie were always quick to try and soothe her. Rachel took her time learning to crawl and walk, I think because her sisters carried her everywhere!
When Rachel was about eight months old she had this fluffy reddish hair that just kind of stuck out all over her head. Sam and I were watching a documentary on apes and they showed an orphaned baby orangutan. This baby had a head of hair that looked just like Rachel's! From then on she was our "little monkey"!
Of all my kids, Rachel reminds me the most of my sister Beth. Beth was diagnosed with leukemia when she was eight and passed away January 14th 1989, at the age of 11. Rachel sings silly, goofy songs in the bathtub, that can cause me to catch my breath as I go back 20 plus years in my mind.
Rachel's brain works differently than most of us. She sees the world in a way that at times is incredibly refreshing and at other times truly frustrating. She often has us in stitches with her one liners that don't come out quite the way she intended. Rachel's struggles with learning new things has taught her a valuable lesson: She is not afraid or embarrassed to ask for help. She doesn't quit when things get tough; she will seek out someone who can assist her.
Rachel is amazingly creative and imaginative. She will use extra cardboard boxes and paper to create elaborate houses for her dolls. She loves to do crafts. Her walls in her room are decorated with all sorts of projects. She is forever collecting scraps of lace, trims, or fabrics and turning them into clothing for her dolls. Recently she began learning how to use the sewing machine, and is thoroughly enjoying taking her creativity to a new level.
When I look at Rachel, I wonder at what God has for her. She is so full of possibilities. At this moment she thinks she might want to become a wildlife rehabilitator. She has always liked birds, especially owls. I watch her when she is around younger children and she has a way of relating to them that is so unique; perhaps she'll be a teacher. She loves to build and create things,so maybe she'll be an architect or an engineer.
Loving Rachel has taught me patience. I tend to rush into things, full speed ahead, expecting others to either follow or get out of the way. With Rachel, I have had to learn to slow down, to explain things, and then, to explain them again. The experiences we had with Rachel and the public school system has taught me to stand up for my kids and myself, even when people in authority claim they know best. Rachel has taught me to trust my gut when it comes to my children. Most importantly, Rachel has taught me to trust God. His plan is infinitely better than mine. He knows Rachel, even better than I do. He loves Rachel, even more than I do.
As she follows the same paths as her older sisters, I am sure we will have our struggles as she enters the "teenager" phase, but I am confident that in the next two years we will see Rachel develop physically, emotionally, and spiritually into a mature young lady who knows that God has a plan for her.
Happy Birthday Rachel!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Rachel's Birthday
I made a scaled-down version (an extremely scaled-down version). The windows and flags are flavored tootsie rolls. The round window is a life saver, and the drawbridge is made of Kit-kats. It's pink frosted, but no stonework. I was rushing it so I skipped the crumb-coat. The flecks of chocolate cake in the pink frosting give it an authentic look, I think... The coconut flakes represent snow (also covers up the mistakes...).
Rachel loved it, which was the whole point, and excitedly showed all of her guests.
Abby curled Rachel's hair for the event.
My mom had made Rachel a ton of doll clothes for her doll for her birthday. So Rachel and her friends spent a long while undressing and re-dressing their dolls, mixing and matching the outfits. Then they all went outside and built monstrous snow forts in the snowbanks and took turns going for rides on the horse. After everyone was sufficiently cold and wet, they came in for hot cocoa and Wii boxing. Nothing like virtually beating up your friends to cap off a birthday party!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Rachel and Honey
Rachel spent some time last night letting Honey graze on the lawn. She was so cute talking to Honey while she grazed, I couldn't resist taking a few pictures, even though the light wasn't that good.
Friday, April 3, 2009
The Parent/Teacher Conferences
In the disaster that was this past week, we had several events happen upon which I should elaborate. For today, I will cover Rachel and Samantha's Parent/Teacher conferences.
Rachel's was first. I met with Mrs. Orlando for a few minutes while we waited for the special education entourage to make their way down to the multiage wing. She told me what a delight Rachel is in the classroom and how she always wants to help. Mrs. Orlando described how last Thursday she had announced to the class that she would be absent on the next day and discussed appropriate class behavior. A little while into the day, Rachel approached her and asked, "When you're absent, which kids should I keep an eye on for you?" I'd say she's feeling comfortable in the classroom!
Once the special education teachers arrived we sat down to discuss Rachel's progress. All are in agreement that there has been some really great gains in many areas. She still has things to improve and work on and some areas are slow in coming along, but there are signs of progress, even in those areas. Her speech and language has improved by leaps and her math has finally seemed to really click. Her reading and spelling are making good gains, while her gross and fine motor are still not quite there. All the teachers were quick to tell me how sweet Rachel is, how she takes direction well, and is a hard worker.
Once Mrs. Orlando and I were alone again, we discussed third grade for Rachel. It turns out the upper multiage classrooms are run differently than the lower multiage. Rachel will the majority of her time with one of the teachers for her major subjects instead of switching teachers after several weeks. This means that Rachel and Samantha will be in the classroom together next year. Everyone agrees it shouldn't be a problem as Rachel and Samantha are as thick as thieves the majority of the time and when they aren't together, they still get along well.
Samantha's conference was next. I was ready to push for services and testing as I believe Samantha's struggles, while not as severe as Rachel's, exist because of some of the same issues as Rachel. Samantha's teacher explained that she had already had a meeting regarding Samantha and getting some interventions put into place for her. At that point Samantha's reading support teacher came into the room. She showed how Samantha can read, but she adds in or takes out extra words as she reads. The words she adds or subtracts do not change the meaning of the story but they are not the words on the page. (I call it editing!)
She has excellent comprehension and if we ignored the ommissions and additions, she would be reading on a much higher level. The reading teacher was very much supportive of my insistence that we not wait for the intervention process. It would take too long and we would be into late May before we could even try to get testing done (they won't test that late anyway, which puts us back at the beginning of the process again in September). She even made some suggestions to Samantha's teacher that she should send an email to the OT/PT teacher for an unofficial classroom observation of Samantha. The results of which could be used at the next meeting to advocate for additional testing. I announced that I wanted to be notified of that meeting and would be in attendance. The reading specialist advocated for the classroom teacher to put in the request for the meeting immediately so as to get a date in mid April rather than late May. I am hoping Samantha's teacher has done all those things. I will be sending an email on Monday morning to ask just that question. The meeting ended and I again thanked Samantha's teacher for her patience, telling her I understand how difficult Samantha can be.
I am so thankful that my girls have teachers who are diligent and supportive of them and our family. I am thankful for teachers who even after they have retired, are still advocating for and supporting us.
Rachel's was first. I met with Mrs. Orlando for a few minutes while we waited for the special education entourage to make their way down to the multiage wing. She told me what a delight Rachel is in the classroom and how she always wants to help. Mrs. Orlando described how last Thursday she had announced to the class that she would be absent on the next day and discussed appropriate class behavior. A little while into the day, Rachel approached her and asked, "When you're absent, which kids should I keep an eye on for you?" I'd say she's feeling comfortable in the classroom!
Once the special education teachers arrived we sat down to discuss Rachel's progress. All are in agreement that there has been some really great gains in many areas. She still has things to improve and work on and some areas are slow in coming along, but there are signs of progress, even in those areas. Her speech and language has improved by leaps and her math has finally seemed to really click. Her reading and spelling are making good gains, while her gross and fine motor are still not quite there. All the teachers were quick to tell me how sweet Rachel is, how she takes direction well, and is a hard worker.
Once Mrs. Orlando and I were alone again, we discussed third grade for Rachel. It turns out the upper multiage classrooms are run differently than the lower multiage. Rachel will the majority of her time with one of the teachers for her major subjects instead of switching teachers after several weeks. This means that Rachel and Samantha will be in the classroom together next year. Everyone agrees it shouldn't be a problem as Rachel and Samantha are as thick as thieves the majority of the time and when they aren't together, they still get along well.
Samantha's conference was next. I was ready to push for services and testing as I believe Samantha's struggles, while not as severe as Rachel's, exist because of some of the same issues as Rachel. Samantha's teacher explained that she had already had a meeting regarding Samantha and getting some interventions put into place for her. At that point Samantha's reading support teacher came into the room. She showed how Samantha can read, but she adds in or takes out extra words as she reads. The words she adds or subtracts do not change the meaning of the story but they are not the words on the page. (I call it editing!)
She has excellent comprehension and if we ignored the ommissions and additions, she would be reading on a much higher level. The reading teacher was very much supportive of my insistence that we not wait for the intervention process. It would take too long and we would be into late May before we could even try to get testing done (they won't test that late anyway, which puts us back at the beginning of the process again in September). She even made some suggestions to Samantha's teacher that she should send an email to the OT/PT teacher for an unofficial classroom observation of Samantha. The results of which could be used at the next meeting to advocate for additional testing. I announced that I wanted to be notified of that meeting and would be in attendance. The reading specialist advocated for the classroom teacher to put in the request for the meeting immediately so as to get a date in mid April rather than late May. I am hoping Samantha's teacher has done all those things. I will be sending an email on Monday morning to ask just that question. The meeting ended and I again thanked Samantha's teacher for her patience, telling her I understand how difficult Samantha can be.
I am so thankful that my girls have teachers who are diligent and supportive of them and our family. I am thankful for teachers who even after they have retired, are still advocating for and supporting us.
Monday, March 16, 2009
This Week
Antibiotics are amazing things! Within 24 hours of starting them, I began to feel like a whole new person! Thankfully no one else has developed symptoms. So maybe, just maybe, with spring around the corner, we can put this winter's illnesses behind us.
No new baby goats yet. Lucy was due on the 13th. She will proabbly kidd today, since I am working! Sam will be home today to help if there are any problems.
Report cards for the younger two girls come home on Friday. Parent-Teacher conferences will be the following Friday. I am anxious to get some kind of report on Rachel. I have noticed some progress in her spelling tests, but not in her day to day spelling. Her speech and language has very much improved. We are correcting her verb usage less and less. Samantha's has improved too, which I think supports my theory that most of Samantha's language issues were learned behaviors from hanging out with Rachel!
I am noticing that many of Rachel's papers are coming home with someone else's handwriting for the answers. So I know she is still struggling with writing out answers in a timely manner. Her reading is somewhat improved in that she can read nearly all the words in the books she brings home from school. Her fluency is still stilted and choppy, and she is still reading what she thinks the words should say and not what is actually written.
The "what do we do for next year?" question has come up in a few conversations. Sam and I are holding off on any decisions until after we get some kind of progress report.
No new baby goats yet. Lucy was due on the 13th. She will proabbly kidd today, since I am working! Sam will be home today to help if there are any problems.
Report cards for the younger two girls come home on Friday. Parent-Teacher conferences will be the following Friday. I am anxious to get some kind of report on Rachel. I have noticed some progress in her spelling tests, but not in her day to day spelling. Her speech and language has very much improved. We are correcting her verb usage less and less. Samantha's has improved too, which I think supports my theory that most of Samantha's language issues were learned behaviors from hanging out with Rachel!
I am noticing that many of Rachel's papers are coming home with someone else's handwriting for the answers. So I know she is still struggling with writing out answers in a timely manner. Her reading is somewhat improved in that she can read nearly all the words in the books she brings home from school. Her fluency is still stilted and choppy, and she is still reading what she thinks the words should say and not what is actually written.
The "what do we do for next year?" question has come up in a few conversations. Sam and I are holding off on any decisions until after we get some kind of progress report.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Rachel's Neurologist Appointment
Rachel had her appointment yesterday with the pediatric neurologist. The docotr looked over all of the paperwork and put Rachel through a serious of verbal and physical tests. The doctor declared that Rachel's issues were not due to a neurological issue, but most likely a series of intermingled learning disabilities. Sam and I both noticed that if Rachel were subjected to a sobriety test she wouldn't pass! Let's hope we get these things resolved BEFORE she gets her license!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Rachel's PPT
Rachel's PPT was today. I went into it knowing I would hear the reults of her testing, so I was mentally prepared. Even so, it wasn't easy to see in black and white how frustrating it must be, to be Rachel right now.
Long story, short: Rachel will be receiving special education services in math, language arts, speech/language, PT and OT. She'll be out of the classroom for 10 hours per week. I think she'll be more out than in!
Some of the scores were pretty interesting. They show that she has relied heavily on her few strengths to achieve as much as she has in school. Her visual motor skills test put her in the 1%ile. Yeah, first percentile. Visual spatial and Fine motor tests put her in the 20th percentile. It's a wonder this kid can even write! The one test that was somewhat "alarming" to me was the Form Constancy subtest. Her age equivalent there equalled 4 years and 9 months. This certainly explains why she struggles to read.
Other 1st percentile results were in the Locomotor Subtest and the Object Control subtest, which were done for the Physical Therapist's evaluation. These were tests that check her gross motor skills such as running, hopping, etc as well as gross motor movements with objects, such as dribbling, catching, or kicking a ball.
Rachel's speech therapist from this summer would be interested in these numbers: In the LPT-3, Rachel scored in the 4th, 2nd, and 6th, percentiles on the Similarities subtest, Differences subtest, and Attributes subtest, respectively. With an overall total test score in the 7th percentile. She scored in the 10th percentile on the Structured Photographic Expressive Language Test-II.
To be fair, the evaluators were all very careful to tell me those things that Rachel excelled at as well. But honestly, no matter how you sandwich it with good things, those scores are still tough to hear. And while I am happy to hear that she is polite, eager to please and tries her best at everything, these are the very things I see slipping away as each week passes and she gets more and more discouraged.
Hopefully now that she will be getting the help she needs, we will start to see her not struggle so hard and to not get so frustrated. I am optomistic, now that we are no longer trying to assist Rachel in bits and pieces, but are dealing with Rachel as a whole, we will begin to see improvement.
I am realistic in my expectations, I think. I don't want to change Rachel. I just want to ease her struggle.
Long story, short: Rachel will be receiving special education services in math, language arts, speech/language, PT and OT. She'll be out of the classroom for 10 hours per week. I think she'll be more out than in!
Some of the scores were pretty interesting. They show that she has relied heavily on her few strengths to achieve as much as she has in school. Her visual motor skills test put her in the 1%ile. Yeah, first percentile. Visual spatial and Fine motor tests put her in the 20th percentile. It's a wonder this kid can even write! The one test that was somewhat "alarming" to me was the Form Constancy subtest. Her age equivalent there equalled 4 years and 9 months. This certainly explains why she struggles to read.
Other 1st percentile results were in the Locomotor Subtest and the Object Control subtest, which were done for the Physical Therapist's evaluation. These were tests that check her gross motor skills such as running, hopping, etc as well as gross motor movements with objects, such as dribbling, catching, or kicking a ball.
Rachel's speech therapist from this summer would be interested in these numbers: In the LPT-3, Rachel scored in the 4th, 2nd, and 6th, percentiles on the Similarities subtest, Differences subtest, and Attributes subtest, respectively. With an overall total test score in the 7th percentile. She scored in the 10th percentile on the Structured Photographic Expressive Language Test-II.
To be fair, the evaluators were all very careful to tell me those things that Rachel excelled at as well. But honestly, no matter how you sandwich it with good things, those scores are still tough to hear. And while I am happy to hear that she is polite, eager to please and tries her best at everything, these are the very things I see slipping away as each week passes and she gets more and more discouraged.
Hopefully now that she will be getting the help she needs, we will start to see her not struggle so hard and to not get so frustrated. I am optomistic, now that we are no longer trying to assist Rachel in bits and pieces, but are dealing with Rachel as a whole, we will begin to see improvement.
I am realistic in my expectations, I think. I don't want to change Rachel. I just want to ease her struggle.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Updates
Well, I survived the interrogation by the school psychologist. She was very nice. She was surprised at some of my answers, which is a little unsettling. I know I am different, but I certainly didn't think I was that abnormal! Apparently my methods of discipline and my life goals for my kids are unusual?
We also got through our Parent/Teacher conferences. Both girls are doing fine. Samantha is interacting more with the other kids and not clinging quite so much to Rachel. She is giving her teacher less attitude (apparently saving it all up for me!). Rachel is being Rachel and everyone loves her sweetness and innocence. She is enjoying her role as "mother hen" in the classroom.
We have our PPT for Rachel scheduled for next Tuesday. This is the one where we learn the results of all the testing that has been done in the last month. At least this time I am prepared for the results; not like when they gave the OT/PT results at the end of the last school year.
Today is our church's missionary dinner banquet. I'm making cranberry sauce, peach trifle, and baked beans. Tomorrow is another church dinner after the morning service. For that I am making stuffing and Nathalie and Abby made chocolate chip cookies. They had to triple the recipe so it counts as math class!
Also today the van is picking up the FFA kids from the airport. Unfortunately this means we'll be missing out on cousin Olivia's birthday party. I didn't learn of the party until 2 days ago and had already promised the van by then.
Yesterday Sam and Rachel finished the chicken coop to replace the temporary rooster shelter. Now the roosters will have a warm house and we can free up some of the fencing for the laying hens which need more space.
Sam and Rachel also replaced all the fire bricks in our woodstove. The old ones were very cracked and crumbling. Rachel was trying to figure out how old the woodstove was. My parents gave it to us about 9 years ago and I know it was in their house for about 12 years. So let's just say it is over 20 years old. Hopefully with the new fire bricks, it will last another 5-10 years.
The next project is the shelves in my mud room. We were able to purchase the sheet of plywood we needed yesterday, so Sam will start on it when he is home on Monday.
The older girls and I sorted through all the winter things and thankfully, only Abby needs snowpants. Rachel and Samantha are the only ones who need snowboots. Everyone has a "good" winter coat and a "barn" winter coat. My mother-in-law keeps us well stocked in hats and mittens. So, that project is done.
Thursday a group of homeschoolers came to tour our farm. We had a fun visit and almost sold some goats! I did sell a lot of my honey and discussed "goat shares" with one couple. If the chickens had been laying, I could have sold several dozen eggs too.
Two goats will be going to auction on Monday. Abby has decided to pay for her goat's feed every month, rather than send it to auction. She is hoping to sell it in the spring to a family.
I think that is all that's news here...
We also got through our Parent/Teacher conferences. Both girls are doing fine. Samantha is interacting more with the other kids and not clinging quite so much to Rachel. She is giving her teacher less attitude (apparently saving it all up for me!). Rachel is being Rachel and everyone loves her sweetness and innocence. She is enjoying her role as "mother hen" in the classroom.
We have our PPT for Rachel scheduled for next Tuesday. This is the one where we learn the results of all the testing that has been done in the last month. At least this time I am prepared for the results; not like when they gave the OT/PT results at the end of the last school year.
Today is our church's missionary dinner banquet. I'm making cranberry sauce, peach trifle, and baked beans. Tomorrow is another church dinner after the morning service. For that I am making stuffing and Nathalie and Abby made chocolate chip cookies. They had to triple the recipe so it counts as math class!
Also today the van is picking up the FFA kids from the airport. Unfortunately this means we'll be missing out on cousin Olivia's birthday party. I didn't learn of the party until 2 days ago and had already promised the van by then.
Yesterday Sam and Rachel finished the chicken coop to replace the temporary rooster shelter. Now the roosters will have a warm house and we can free up some of the fencing for the laying hens which need more space.
Sam and Rachel also replaced all the fire bricks in our woodstove. The old ones were very cracked and crumbling. Rachel was trying to figure out how old the woodstove was. My parents gave it to us about 9 years ago and I know it was in their house for about 12 years. So let's just say it is over 20 years old. Hopefully with the new fire bricks, it will last another 5-10 years.
The next project is the shelves in my mud room. We were able to purchase the sheet of plywood we needed yesterday, so Sam will start on it when he is home on Monday.
The older girls and I sorted through all the winter things and thankfully, only Abby needs snowpants. Rachel and Samantha are the only ones who need snowboots. Everyone has a "good" winter coat and a "barn" winter coat. My mother-in-law keeps us well stocked in hats and mittens. So, that project is done.
Thursday a group of homeschoolers came to tour our farm. We had a fun visit and almost sold some goats! I did sell a lot of my honey and discussed "goat shares" with one couple. If the chickens had been laying, I could have sold several dozen eggs too.
Two goats will be going to auction on Monday. Abby has decided to pay for her goat's feed every month, rather than send it to auction. She is hoping to sell it in the spring to a family.
I think that is all that's news here...
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Rachel
Rachel's second PPT is scheduled for October 28th. Supposedly, they will be discussing the results of the testing they did in the last 30 days. I have to go up to the school this morning. The school psychologist wants to see me. You have no idea how much this bugs me.
When I was in high school, my sister passed away from leukemia. The school psychologist and school social worker took that as an opportunity to bug us. The social worker in particular was trying to justify her job, I think. She was concerned about my level of maturity (I was too mature for my age, in her opinion) and felt that I had a lot of worries and responsibilities. She drove my mother, my sisters, and me, nuts for six months in my junior year. She sort of backed off in my senior year, but would, "checked in" on us every other month.
So going to visit the school psychologist gives me the heebee jeebees!
It is pretty obvious to people how Rachel's speech is very much delayed. An example:
Monday night we went to my mom's for a dinner with my brother and his new bride. Andrew was speaking and purposely leaving off the final 'g' in an 'ing' verb. Rachel corrected him. Andrew responded with, "So says Yoda." Now, she has no idea who Yoda is, so it went over her head. But, it is an accurate description of how she speaks.
When I was in high school, my sister passed away from leukemia. The school psychologist and school social worker took that as an opportunity to bug us. The social worker in particular was trying to justify her job, I think. She was concerned about my level of maturity (I was too mature for my age, in her opinion) and felt that I had a lot of worries and responsibilities. She drove my mother, my sisters, and me, nuts for six months in my junior year. She sort of backed off in my senior year, but would, "checked in" on us every other month.
So going to visit the school psychologist gives me the heebee jeebees!
It is pretty obvious to people how Rachel's speech is very much delayed. An example:
Monday night we went to my mom's for a dinner with my brother and his new bride. Andrew was speaking and purposely leaving off the final 'g' in an 'ing' verb. Rachel corrected him. Andrew responded with, "So says Yoda." Now, she has no idea who Yoda is, so it went over her head. But, it is an accurate description of how she speaks.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Yeah, but...
Rachel's PPT went well, I think. Everyone seemed to agree that Rachel is definitely struggling and we need to find out why, so we can help her. The list of tests they are planning on is lengthy, but I think it is thorough, as they will cover just about everything: visual, motor, cognitive, auditory, and speech. We have a follow-up meeting to go over results, set for October 28.
It is interesting the way the mind works. With Rachel's upcoming MRI, I find my thoughts returning to 1984 when my sister went to the doctor because her shoulder ached. We were soon told that Beth had leukemia. She passed away in January 1989. I guess because of that I just don't have the ability to say, "Everything will be fine," because I have experienced a time when everything wasn't fine. Add to that, Rachel is the same age Beth was when she was diagnosed.
Now, I know it isn't the same. I can rationalize that I am being overly anxious. This MRI is simply to rule out any significant reason for Rachel's short term memory issues and language problems. In all reality, they will find nothing, and we will be back to looking at some sort of learning disability that we need to work with. I can say that until the goats come home, but there is still that voice back there saying, "Yeah, but..."
It is interesting the way the mind works. With Rachel's upcoming MRI, I find my thoughts returning to 1984 when my sister went to the doctor because her shoulder ached. We were soon told that Beth had leukemia. She passed away in January 1989. I guess because of that I just don't have the ability to say, "Everything will be fine," because I have experienced a time when everything wasn't fine. Add to that, Rachel is the same age Beth was when she was diagnosed.
Now, I know it isn't the same. I can rationalize that I am being overly anxious. This MRI is simply to rule out any significant reason for Rachel's short term memory issues and language problems. In all reality, they will find nothing, and we will be back to looking at some sort of learning disability that we need to work with. I can say that until the goats come home, but there is still that voice back there saying, "Yeah, but..."
Saturday, September 13, 2008
No Fair
No fair this weekend. A few of the goats are sick and being the responsible goat people that we are, we decided to not take any of the animals to the fair this weekend. I wouldn't want to be like whoever it was that brought this illness to a fair and gave it to my goats.
The goats will recover. According to the vet we have a very mild case. We are either lucky or our goats have strong immune systems, or both.
So we are taking the weekend to get some rest, go to the dump, and get some housecleaning done. Samantha's birthday is coming soon and I have some dresses to make for her this weekend.
My birthday is coming soon too. My mother, who is all of 57, said last night that she was "pushing 60". Which means I am pushing 40. I remember when 40 meant you were old...
In other news, Rachel's pediatrician called yesterday. Rachel has an MRI scheduled for Sept 19th and I have to call up to CCMC to schedule her for a consult with a pediatric neurologist. The PPT with the school is scheduled for Septemeber 16th. I have to admit I am nervous about the MRI and part of me wonders if we are doing the right thing. But then last night I listened to Rachel try to explain something she did in school to my mom, and because I didn't witness the event I couldn't help her explain it. It took Samantha re-explaining it for us to understand what had happened. At nearly nine years old it shouldn't be this hard for Rachel.
The goats will recover. According to the vet we have a very mild case. We are either lucky or our goats have strong immune systems, or both.
So we are taking the weekend to get some rest, go to the dump, and get some housecleaning done. Samantha's birthday is coming soon and I have some dresses to make for her this weekend.
My birthday is coming soon too. My mother, who is all of 57, said last night that she was "pushing 60". Which means I am pushing 40. I remember when 40 meant you were old...
In other news, Rachel's pediatrician called yesterday. Rachel has an MRI scheduled for Sept 19th and I have to call up to CCMC to schedule her for a consult with a pediatric neurologist. The PPT with the school is scheduled for Septemeber 16th. I have to admit I am nervous about the MRI and part of me wonders if we are doing the right thing. But then last night I listened to Rachel try to explain something she did in school to my mom, and because I didn't witness the event I couldn't help her explain it. It took Samantha re-explaining it for us to understand what had happened. At nearly nine years old it shouldn't be this hard for Rachel.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Staying Back
Rachel will be held back in second grade for next year. She struggled through first grade, and struggled horribly through second grade this past year. We finally got some results from screenings and found that there are some actual issues with language, OT, and PT.
I told Rachel yesterday morning while she was the only one awake and we could talk uninterrupted. Sam and I figured that telling her a few days before the last day of school would giver her an opportunity to talk it over with her friends and her teacher. Rachel, as I expected, was less than thrilled with the idea of doing second grade again.
Her biggest concern was not being with her best friend, Grace. Thankfully Rachel and Grace are in the multiage classroom. So, while Grace will be in third grade, she and Rachel will still have recess and lunch together. They will have country studies and other activities together. On top of that they are in the same girl scout troop and the same 4H club. Plus, we love the Rodgers family so we will be seeing a lot of them. Rachel seemed okay with it after our talk, but being that she is Rachel and is the opposite of a "Pollyanna", she was still quite negative.
Hannah heard Rachel fussing about the decision later in the morning. After Rachel and Samantha were on the bus, she came to me. She asked if she could give Rachel a tea party and talk to Rachel about it, since she stayed back in second grade too. I thought it was a great idea and I'm pretty proud of Hannah to think of it. Hannah took the time to bring the little table out to the living room, cleaned up the tea set, and set the table special for Rachel.
Two pounds of honey, 3 quarts of milk and 2 pots of hot water later, Rachel was feeling better about the whole issue. Rachel informed me that Hannah told her that when she gets to be homeschooled in 5th grade, if she does well, I will skip her back up to the grade she would have been at. While not exactly accurate, if it makes Rachel feel better about it, I'll let her believe it, at least until fifth grade...
I told Rachel yesterday morning while she was the only one awake and we could talk uninterrupted. Sam and I figured that telling her a few days before the last day of school would giver her an opportunity to talk it over with her friends and her teacher. Rachel, as I expected, was less than thrilled with the idea of doing second grade again.
Her biggest concern was not being with her best friend, Grace. Thankfully Rachel and Grace are in the multiage classroom. So, while Grace will be in third grade, she and Rachel will still have recess and lunch together. They will have country studies and other activities together. On top of that they are in the same girl scout troop and the same 4H club. Plus, we love the Rodgers family so we will be seeing a lot of them. Rachel seemed okay with it after our talk, but being that she is Rachel and is the opposite of a "Pollyanna", she was still quite negative.
Hannah heard Rachel fussing about the decision later in the morning. After Rachel and Samantha were on the bus, she came to me. She asked if she could give Rachel a tea party and talk to Rachel about it, since she stayed back in second grade too. I thought it was a great idea and I'm pretty proud of Hannah to think of it. Hannah took the time to bring the little table out to the living room, cleaned up the tea set, and set the table special for Rachel.
Two pounds of honey, 3 quarts of milk and 2 pots of hot water later, Rachel was feeling better about the whole issue. Rachel informed me that Hannah told her that when she gets to be homeschooled in 5th grade, if she does well, I will skip her back up to the grade she would have been at. While not exactly accurate, if it makes Rachel feel better about it, I'll let her believe it, at least until fifth grade...
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